Collapsible chicken crate or coop.



C. D. LEISTER.

COLLAPSTBLE CHICKEN CRATE 0R COOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. I916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented; May 22, 1917.

awuanto'o C. D. LESTER c. n. LEISTER. COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN CRATE 0R COOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 19H;-

1,226,781. Patented May 22,1917.

2 sums-sum 2.

awuemtoz D. LESTER,

a same in closed position.

CURTIS D. LEISTEB, 0F PARIS, ARKANSAS.

COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN CRATE OR COOP.

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 125,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, Cun'rrs D. Lnrs'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Logan and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Chicken Crates or Coops, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to folding or collapsible chickenv crates or coops and has for its primary object to provide a metallic folding crate which will be light in weight, exceedingly strong and durable in its con struction, andcapable of being easily and quickly folded or set up in position for use.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a base for the crate consisting of a sheet metal platehaving a plurality of spaced openings therein, spaced transverse wires extending across the bottom face of the plate and having eyes projecting upwardly through the openings therein, and longitudinal wires extending over the upper face of said bottom plate and. through the eyes of the first named wires.

It is another, object of the invention to provide a sectional top 'to the crate hingedly mounted upon the sidewalls thereof, and improved means for connecting the free edges of the top sections and holding the It is also another object of the invention to provide an improved gate'or door in the top sectionsiof the crate orcoop and means normally acting to yieldingly hold the door in its closed position and in the plane of the. top section of the crate.

It is a further general object of the invention to improve and simplify cratestructures' of the above character, reduce the manufacturing cost thereof to a minimum, and increase their convenience and serviceability in practical use. 1 3 With the'above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction,combination and arrangementof vparts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 isa side elevation of a crate constructed/in accordance with the preferre embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 251s a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the bottom of the crate;

Fig. dis a detail perspective view of the base frame;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the means for connecting the crate ends to the inner edges of the top sections;

Fig. 6 is y a side elevation of a poultry coop constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bottom of the coop with certain parts broken away; and

Fig. 9 is a de'tailfragmentary perspective view showing the door mounting and construction.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, wherein I have illustrated a crate construction especiallv designed for the transportation of eggs, 5 designates the base or bottom plate. This bottom plate is provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced openings 6 to receive upwardly projecting eyes 8 formed upon spaced wires 7 extending transversely across the bottom face of the plate 5. Similarly spaced, longitudinally extending wires 9 are disposed upon the upper face of the base plate 5 andv through the corresponding eyes 8 in th several transverse wires. A marginal frame wire 10 extends around the edges of the base plate 5 and is provided with spaced, horizontally disposed eyes 10' to which the extremities of the wires 7 and 9 are connected. A second rectangular frame wire 11, disposed above and in parallel relation to the 'wire 10, is engaged in and securely held by vertically extending, twisted portions 12 formed in the wire 10 which are located-between the spaced eyes 10. In thismanner, there is produced a strong, rigid and substantial base frame.

15 designates the sides of the crate each of which is constructed of crossed or intersectingwires suitably spaced apart, and the lower ends of the vertical wires of the side sections 15 have eyes 16 formed therein which are loosely engaged in eyes 17 formed upon the upper ends of the twisted portions 12' of the base frame. crate are similarly constructed and hingedly mounted upon the upper ends of the portions 12 at each end of the base frame. vTo

the vertical end wires of each end section The ends 18 of the are secured and these keepers are adapted to be engaged by the free ends of the resilient latch plates 20 suitably secured upon the sides 15 of the crate. A single transverse wire 21 is also centrally disposed across the upper face of the base plate 5 and connected at its extremities to the marginal frame wire 10. This wire 21 has a series of eyes formed therein upon which the lower end of a reticulated partition wall 22 is hingedly mounted. This partition wall is also provided on its opposite ends with keeper lugs 23 for engagement by the resilient latch members 21 on the sides 13 of the crate.

25 designates the two top sections of the crate, each of which is likewise formed of intersecting, spaced wires hingedly mounted along one of its longitudinal edges upon the upper ends of the vertical wires of the respective side sections 15. To the other longitudinal edge of one of the top sections 25, a series of spaced keeper lugs 26 are secured for engagement through correspondingly spaced eyes or loops 27 on the free longitudinal edge ofthe other top section. T 0. each of the end sections 18 of the crate, adjacent itsupper edge and at its approximate center, one end of a coil spring 29 isv attached, the other end of said spring terminating in a hook 30 which is adapted for engagement through an aperture in the end keeper lug 26. Similar coil springs 31 are also attached to the top section 25 which is provided with the loops 27 and have terminal hooks for engagement through apertures in the lugs 26.

The several parts of the crate structure may be readily set up in their proper relative positionsupon the base frame of the crate and sustained in their erect positions by the latches 20 and 24, and after the crate has been filled witheggs (the usual fillers being employed) the two top sections are moved to their inclosed positions in the same plane and are connected together by the spring hooks 31 and such sections also held against movement with respect to the ends of the crate by the spring hooks 29. In folding the crate, the partition wall is'first forced down upon the bottom, and the end sections thenfolded inwardly. The top and side sections, in extended relation, are then folded inwardly and downwardly to lie in superposed relation upon the end sections of the crate.

In Figs. 6 to 9. inclusive of the drawings, 1 have illustrated a coop or crate which is particularly designed for the transportation of fowls, and in'this construction the wire base frame 10,-1l'and 12 above described and shown in detail in Fig. 4:, is dispensed with. The plate 5 and the intersecting wires secured thereon are, however, employed and the sides and ends of the coop are hingedly also hingedly connected to the upper edges of the side sections of the poultry coop and in each of these wire mesh top sections a rectangular opening 32 is provided, said openings being located adjacent the relatively opposite ends of the top sections. Each opening 32 is closed by means of a door, said door consisting of two hingedly connected sections 33 and. 3a respectively, the section 33 being pivotally engaged upon one of the transverse wires of the top section of the crate. The other end, of the door section33 is formed withoppositely projecting stops 35 forengagement upon the longitudinal wires of the top section 25 to limit the swinging movement of said door section in a downward direction. Each of the door sections is likewise constructed of intersecting wires and the side wires of the other door section 34 are, slidingly engaged through upstanding loops 36 formed in one of the wires of the top section 25. Coil springs 37 are suitably attached to these side wires of the door section at one of their ends and have their other ends secured to the top section of the crate. The springs 37, by their contractile action, normally and yieldingly hold the door sections in the same horizontal plane over the door opening 32 to close the same. v When it is desired to obtain access, to the interior of the crate with out disconnecting the top sections thereof, the arms or projections 35 aregrasped and lifted or pulled upwardly, thereby disposing the door-sections at an angle with respect to each other and sliding the eXt-endedside wires of the door section 34 through the eyes 36. The springs 37 are thus expanded and placed under tension so that immediately upon release of the door section 33, the two sections of the door will be returned to their normal closed positions.

For the purpose of more securely holding the top sections 25 of the poultry coop against relative movement from their closed position, I provide the rods'38 arranged in pairs and resiliently engagedat one of their ends upon one of the longitudinal wires on the bottom plate of thecrate. 5 The other ends of these rods are provided withhooks 39. It will be noted that the rods 38 are arranged adjacent the door-openings 32 so that they may be readily swung upwardly after the top sections have been closed and engaged with the longitudinal wires on the respective top sections of the crate, as seen in Fig. 7. In this manner, all of the several parts are securely held in assembled relation and the possibility of the collapse of the crate by pressure of the fowls against the crate walls, is obviated.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of use of the several illustrated embodiments of my invention may be clearly and fully understood. The construction of the several parts of the crate is very simple, and provides a durable structure when the crate is set up in position for use. At the same time, however, the crate may be easily and quickly folded or collapsed so that it will occupy a minimum of space in storage or shipment and will be relatively light in weight. The crate or coop may also manifestly be constructed in various sizes and at comparatively small manufacturing cost. While I have above described the preferred construction of the several elements, it will be obvious that the device is susceptible of considerable modification therein and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A crate including a bottom plate, spaced wires extending over the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom plate at right angles to each other and tied together at their points of intersection, and side, end and top sections mounted and connected for relative folding movement upon said bottom.

2. A crate including a bottom plate, a plurality of spaced wires extending over the upper and lower surfaces of said plate at right angles to each other and connected at their points of intersection by means extending through said bottom plate, and side, end and top sections mounted for relative folding movement upon said bottom plate.

3. A crate including abottom plate having a plurality of equidistantly spaced openings therein, a series of wires extending across the bottom face of the plate and having eyes extending upwardly through the openings in said plate, a second series of wires extending over the upper surface of said plate and through the corresponding eyes in the first series of wires whereby the two series of wires are locked together upon opposite sides of the base plate against relative movement, andside, end and top sections mounted for relative folding movement upon the crate bottom.

4. A crate including a bottom plate, reinforcing wires extending at right angles to each other across the upper and lower surfaces of said plate and projecting beyond the edges thereof, a marginal frame wire disposed in spaced relation to the edges of said plate to which the terminals of the reinforcing wires are connected, and side, end and top sections supported upon the frame for relative folding movement upon the crate bottom.

5. A crate including a bottom plate, reinforcing wires extending over the upper and lower surfaces of said plate, and means extending through the bottom plate and tying the reinforcing wires on the upper and lower surfaces thereof together, and side, end and top sections mounted upon the crate bottom for relative folding movement. a

6. A crate including a rectangular base frame wire having a plurality of spaced, twisted, vertically disposed portions, a base plate permanently connected to said frame wire, and side, end and top sections mounted upon the vertical, twisted portions of said frame wire for relative folding movement.

7. A crate including a rectangular base frame wire having a plurality of spaced, twisted, vertically disposed portions, a second frame wire secured and held by the twisted portions of the first named frame wire in spaced relation to the latter, a base plate connected to said first frame wire, and side, end and top sections mounted upon the vertical, twisted portions of said first frame wire for relative folding movement.

8. A crate including a rectangular base frame wire having a plurality of spaced, twisted, vertically disposed portions, a second frame wire secured and held by the twisted portions of the first named frame wire in spaced relation to the latter, a base plate connected to said first frame wire, each of the twisted portions of said first named frame wire having an eye at its upper end, and side, end and top sections hingedly mounted upon said eyes for relative folding movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CURTIS D. LEISTER.

Witnesses:

BURTON COLEMAN, RUFUS C. FOSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

